Salad

A lighter, brighter option for all you Caesar salad lovers.

"It's everything I want in a salad: sweet, crunchy, and bright." —Claire Saffitz, assistant food editor

This two-part cooking technique adds layers of texture – a creamy inside and a crisp outside.

If puffing the quinoa feels like too much, swap in some chopped toasted nuts to get a similar crunchy texture.

Make this once with measuring spoons and cups; the next time, just eyeball it, adjusting any or all of the ingredients to suit your palate. Then you can call it your classic.

This is equally good drizzled over hard-boiled eggs or with crudité for dipping.

The delicate flavor of rice vinegar along with the other Asian ingredients in this vinaigrette is ideal on tender greens like mizuna or mâche

We'd serve this dressed-down chicken salad for brunch, pack it for lunch, or make it as a light dinner on a hot summer night.

Is it crazy to cook rice, dry it out, and then deep-fry it? Maybe a little bit. But when you taste this unique and addictively crunchy twist on tabbouleh, you'll appreciate the effort.

Not in a carnivorous mood? Just opt for large peeled shrimp instead of beef and cut the cooking time by a couple of minutes.

When I created this Caesar salad, I did a silly dance around the kitchen. Seriously—it is that good. And the name is perfect for it. I’m betting that this Caesar salad dressing is like nothing you’ve ever tasted. It is extremely eccentric and undeniably delicious. Who would have thought that curry powder would be the perfect addition to a Caesar dressing? Not me before I took the risk of adding it—but now I am a total convert. And the nutritional yeast gives this dressing a cheese-like flavor that could please even the most omnivorous Caesar salad connoisseur. This recipe makes extra dressing that you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Topped with our Quick Garlic Croutons, capers, avocado, and hemp seeds, this dynamic salad will delight your adventurous taste buds. —Marea

Overcooked lobsters will be tough and rubbery; if yours are less than 1 1/2 pounds each, decrease the cooking time by a few minutes.

The difference between this papaya salad and a Thai-style one comes down to spice and sugar, says Tanis. The Vietnamese one is sweeter and less hot. Have all the ingredients assembled, but dress the salad just before serving.

"Spicy, vibrant watermelon radishes need little more than lemon and herbs to make magic with salty burrata." –Alison Roman, senior associate food editor

You can substitute whitefish or hot-smoked salmon for the trout.

This fresh take on fruit salad combines spring's favorite sweet-and-sour duo, plus hazelnuts and mint to round things out.

All the flavors of a steak sandwich on rye, but in salad form.

Spicy arugula, slightly bitter endive, and sweet fennel come together in a salad with the briny help of coarsely chopped olives in the lemony dressing.